2006-02-10
Bottle Barn Opens New Tasting Room in Healdsburg
by Millie Howie
There is more to shopping for a fine wine or top- quality bottle of spirits than just walking into the nearest supermarket and lifting something off a shelf. That’s why those who like an almost limitless array of choices and a knowledgeable and friendly staff to answer questions head as if on automatic pilot to Santa Rosa’s Bottle Barn.
Bruce and Loretta Emmons are celebrating their 15th year as proprietors of the Bottle Barn exactly as they have celebrated every day since they opened the 15,000-square-foot barn with it’s million dollar inventory – answering the phone, taking orders, giving answers to questions and guiding their customers down the long aisles to find exactly what they are looking for. It’s not that a shopper couldn’t find exactly what he/she is looking for without personal help. The signage is remarkable – highly visible and easy to read. But, the personal touch is what keeps regulars returning to the Bottle Barn and telling their friends about the broad range of stock and the special service they’ll discover there.
Now, as Bruce says, “There is big news at the Bottle Barn.” The Emmons are opening a small tasting room just off the Plaza in downtown Healdsburg, offering 50 different wines for tasting and for sale at the same reasonable prices as the visitor will find at the Bottle Barn. Open hours at the tasting room will be 10:30 a.m. till 6:30 p.m., except on Fridays, when wines chosen to a theme will be poured until 9 p.m. Themes will range from an exploration of various styles of premium varietals to the introduction of wines from various wine regions around the world.
The range of wine choices has continued to grow over the years, with an increasing representation of wines from Germany and Spain and the Emmons’ personal choices of hard-to-find wines from limited production wineries, particularly those from Sonoma County Appellations. There are, Bruce notes, more Pinot Noirs and Zins, and a higher concentration of premium wines, with fewer jugs.
There are, in special sections, displays of wine and bar accessories, elegant glassware, party supplies and decorated bags and shippers to add to the pleasure of wine gift selection. Open hours at the Bottle Barn, 3331 Industrial Drive, Santa Rosa, are Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. till 6:30 p.m. and till 5 p.m. Sunday. For information, call (707) 528-1161.
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